USTA and IHG Announce New Multiyear Partnership

Through a new multiyear agreement, the United States Tennis Association has named IHG Hotels & Resorts as the official hotel and hotel loyalty partner for the U.S. Open Tennis Championships. Commencing with the 2019 U.S. Open, which will be staged August 26– September 8, the deal also includes sponsorship of the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati.

“Uniting the U.S. Open with IHG Hotels & Resorts’ suite of world-leading brands provides tremendous promotional opportunities for our two global businesses,” said Lew Sherr, chief revenue officer of the USTA. “We look forward to building momentum with our new partner and working together to deliver the very best experiences for our shared clientele around the world.”

Guests and IHG Rewards Club members will have access to exclusive U.S. Open experiences and be exposed to the IHG brands on-site at Flushing Meadows during the tournament itself. The tournament recently completed a five-year, $600 million strategic transformation, which included a multiyear renovation of its home, the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. Last year, the venue welcomed a record 828,798 attendees over the course of the event.

“Our new partnership with one of the world’s largest and the most prestigious tennis tournaments underscores the importance we place on creating unforgettable moments for our guests and loyalty members,” said Claire Bennett, chief marketing officer for IHG. “By partnering with the USTA, we also give a broader set of tennis fans a unique opportunity to get to know us better—and to experience our luxury portfolio and the award-winning IHG Rewards Club program in exclusive ways. We’re looking forward to a great partnership and a successful 2019 tournament.”

IHG’s global portfolio includes 16 hotel brands, the most recent being Six Senses Hotels Resorts Spas, which was acquired in February. IHG franchises, leases, manages or owns more than 5,600 hotels and approximately 837,000 guest rooms in more than 100 countries, with nearly 1,900 hotels in its development pipeline. More than 100 million members are enrolled in the IHG Rewards Club, its global loyalty program.